1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a connector for supporting end positions of pole members to form part of a dome-type tent. More particularly, the present invention provide a connector designed to facilitate assembly and disassembly with tubular poles and which is resistant to stresses generated by the surrounding environment of the tent.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known in the art, a tent is a collapsible shelter of canvas or other material stretched and sustained by poles and used for camping outdoors or as a temporary building. The present invention is addressed to a particular tent design called a dome-type tent which is characterized by the use of long flexible poles typically made of fiberglass to impart the needed elasticity. Plastics are also suitable pole materials. The poles are elastically bent and arranged to form a shape of a dome. Each pole receives an aligned row of spaced apart eyelets that are sewn or otherwise connected to the material forming the body of the tent. Thus, it is necessary to use poles having a predetermined length so that when each pole is bent, the tent body material is supported along each row of eyelets. However a person carrying a disassembled dome-type tent may experience a problem handling poles that are relatively long.
A pole can be made up of a number of tubular pole sections having selected lengths and joined together by tubular sleeves so that the tubular sleeves are situated at the sides of the tent. An elastic cord or rubber band extends internally along the length of each tubular pole whereby all the tubular pole sections always remain linked together even though the pole sections may be disjoined from the sleeves for better handling of the poles e.g., during times of assembly or transport of the tent. Two or three tubular poles are generally used as part of a dome-shaped tent and the poles cross one another at the top of tent. This form of a dome-type tent is light weight and strong. However, inconvenience occurs because the poles must be removed from the eyelets on the tent body material when the tent is to be taken down. Similarly, the poles must be threaded in the eyelets when the tent is pitched. Also, there is a state of flux among the poles in the area at the top of the tent where the poles cross one another. This leads to instability particularly due to wind during a storm which may result in a collapse of the tent.
There is a so-called "60 second tent" design of a dome tent wherein the poles become a unitary body because a connecting part among the tubular poles can fold to solve the aforesaid problem. While this has the advantage for pitching and disassembling the tent, the pole-connecting part among the poles to be folded is so weak that the tent lacks the necessary rigidity.